The Iola register., 1887-12-23
FRss.7RApe vAcAalEs.


A subscriber sends ms free-trade
clipping. which he asks US to answer.
While we have many such requests
that we are obliged to refuse. simply
because the topic is not worth the
time and space necessary TO its refuta-
ton. we shah tgiehy reply to the prin-
cipal points in, this misleading farrago
of fallacy and sophistry. The clipping
is given below, with numbers inter-
polated by US for convenience In reply:
~ Protection means from 80 70 100 per cent
added to the pront Of our home manufacturers,
or, in other words, an average Of - per cent. on
oil protected goods. Let US take blankets for
an illustration. Tho tar.n q on imported blankets
| ranges anwhere from 100 to ZIG per cent. (2)
Now, we will say that the first cost to the man.
ufacturers Of England, of . sunlcicnt quantity
of blankets to supply the yearly demand Of the
United States, would amount to DO.eo0; to
that add the tariff imposed Of 100 per cent, the
latter going Of course, to the Governmenk and
! the goods ut once become worth 100000.
But the facts are that not one-twentleth OF
| the blanket trade comes from tho European
markets; or, in other words, our own manufact-
urers make and sell % per cent. OF the goods.
Now, We will again take the first cost OF Eu-
| ropcsn manufacture, of $aO10 on, add 20 per cent.
rs the difference paid between American and
European labor, and there Is still .
| margin Of 80 per cent, or gross
| amount OF e16lOOO which the Government can
! not touch, but which goes directly into the
| pocket Of the manufacturer. 81 This is what
may be called pure and unadulteratcd protec-
| tion.
Q.) "Protection means from 80 to
100 per cent. added to the profit of
our home manufacturers" This is the
old lie. refuted so often that certainly
no one should be misled by it. We ask
any intelligent reader: Do you know
of any manufacturing industry. en-
gagged in producing goods or articles
not patented. that pays even so per
cent. profit. not to say any thing about
100 per cent? We challenge any free
trader to show one. 1t can not be
done. There is no legitimate manu-
featuring business in protected in
dustries in the United States that pays
as high profit rs 80 per cent
Does it seem reasonable that men
will loan money at 4 to per cent.
when they could make '.from 80 to 100
per cent" in manufacturing? To
make 100 per cent. means to double
your money. Now. according to the
above writer's statement, ,manufact-
urers of wooden blankets make ''frOm
100 to 116 per cent" on their goods.
If this be so. we advise him to go into
the business ut once. Borrow money
ut any rate of interest, no matter if it
be 10 Or 20 per cent. and start blan-
kct mill! If you eau double your
money, and more. on your goods.
there is no greater bonanza than manu-
featuring protected articles!
The fallacy (and falsehooD in the
above statement lies in the assumption
that the American manufacturer makes
the goods at no greater cost than the
English manufacturer, and then adds
the amount of the duty to his selling
price. This is foolish. For instances:
the duty on common printed calico is
six cents per square yard; yet you can
buy it for five or six cents per yard!
The fact is this: If you buy imported
calico. you pay the duty; if You buy
American made, You do not pay ono
penny of it. There is all there is Of it,
despite the lies of free trade propagan-
dists.
(2) Our correspondent wishes to
know the rate of duty on blankets.
Here it is:
Flannels, blankets, knit goods, balmorals,
woolens and wors,ed yarns and all manufact
ures comprised wholly or in part OF worsted,
the hair Of the alpaca. goat. or other animals.
value over 20 cents pound and not over &C, /.
cents pound and IS per cent ad valorem.
Valued over 40 and not over % cents o
pound, 18 cents q pound and IS per cent. I'd
valorem.
Valued over GO and not over 80 cents q pound
accents pound and s. per cent ad valorem.
Valued over 81 cents q pound, 35 cents pound
and 40 per cent ad valOrem
Blankets, composed wholly or in part of WOOL
cents pound and 3j per cent. ad valorem. ."
Valued above so cents q pound, IS cents q
pound and 40 per cent. ad valorem.
(3 1t is clear, we think, in the light
of our remarks under (D. that the
statement here is false If there were
but one manufacturer of any line Of
goods in America, he might safely add
part of the duty to his profits; but
manufacturing is free to all. Compe-
tition is keen between rival manu-
facturers. and, to get trade. they sell
rs cheaply rs they can afford. Any
business man knows this.
The carelcssness of the writer of the
above article is phenomenal. He says.
for instance, that ''nOt one-twentieth
of the blanket trade" comes from
Europe; and then says, cor, IN other
words. our manufacturers make and
sell 80 per cent" One-twentieth is )
per cent, not 20 per cent; and if one
twentieth is imported, our own manu-
facturers make 95 per. cent. This is
but an instance of the carelessness
shown throughout the article. Again.
20 per cent. is not enough for the diff
ference between American and Euro.
pean labor. The difference Is from 40
so per cent.
Without wasting more time on this,
let us say that the man who buys inn
ported goods pays the duty; the man
who buys American goods does not.
That is all there is about it.-Ioledo
Blade.
Mrs. Agnes Steihr and her niece.
Mrs. Anna Beuchs. of Newark. N. j.,
are engaged in legal war for the
possession of an old family Bible. Mrs. |
Steihr had the book for nineteen years
and Mrs. Beuchs borrowed it. Mrs. |
Steihr wanted it again. and her niece |
asSarfod That aha o1yuad Il allon.in1